Days 2 to 5:-  The next four days will be very different in their content and potential for species to be seen. Each day and site will be selected with thought given to the time of year and local weather conditions. One day will be spent in the local area of Oliva probably starting at the coast where 13Km of golden sands and sea attract good numbers of Balearic Shearwater's, Audouin's & Yellow legged Gulls, Sandwich Tern, and Kentish Plover. We shall visit the excellent Pego Marsh looking for the resident Marsh Harriers, Moustached & Cetti’s Warblers, Little & Cattle Egrets, Purple Gallinule, Kingfisher and Zitting Cisticolas. Next we drive up into the karst limestone mountains behind the town to the impressive and very scenic Vall de Gallinera. Resident Golden Eagles patrol the area being constantly harassed by Red-billed Chough. Eventually we reach the city of Alcoy where we will find the regions only colony of Griffon Vultures. The walk up to the feeding station is through Aleppo Pine forest and we could see Woodlark, Crested, Coal & Great Tit and Crossbill. Another day will be spent in Castilla La Mancha travelling the roads and tracks dissecting a fabulous area of pseudo-steppe. Here our target species are Great Bustard, Black-bellied & Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Stone Curlew, Calandra Lark, and Rock Sparrow. Surprisingly in this barren area there are several seasonal lagoons which are excellent for migrating waterbirds.

Plus there is always a chance of something a little different such as a Great Spotted Cuckoo, Black-eared Wheatear, Short-toed Eagle or Red Kite. One day will be in the south of the region looking for many of it's speciality species. We will visit a small wetland reserve with resident White headed Ducks, Purple Gallinules, Iberian Green Woodpeckers, Little Owl, Southern Grey Shrike, and Sardinian Warblers. Then go the short distance to the 'Santa Pola Salinas', this large area of commercial saltpans hold several thousand Greater Flamingos, various species of gulls & terns, waders and wildfowl all year round. After lunch we visit arguably the region’s premier bird reserve 'El Hondo', notable for its huge numbers of waterbirds. Other species regularly seen here include Booted Eagle, Stone Curlew, Lesser Short-toed Lark, Bearded Tit and Moustached Warbler. This day will also involve a lunch or evening meal near Crevillente, watching a pair of Bonelli's Eagles along with Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Thekla Lark, & Raven.

One day we head north to the Albufera de Valencia, a huge freshwater lake surrounded by productive ricefields and Moro Marsh to the north of the city. We hope to find many species of heron & egret including Glossy Ibis, and Great White Egret. We shall visit the a tower hide on the edge of the lagoon searching the wildfowl for Red Crested Pochard, Gadwall, Pintail and possibly Ferruginous Duck. The pine trees surrounding the reserve should hold Firecrest, Short toed Treecreeper and Blackcap, with the possibility of a raptor overhead such as Booted Eagle or Osprey. This site holds a few breeding pairs of Marbled Duck and there is always a chance of finding one amongst the lakeside vegetation. Finally we drive to Moro Marsh the best place for Crested Coot in the area along with other wetland species.

Eagle Owl Extension (Winter)

This is an optional extension to our day in the south looking for breeding Eagle Owls. There is no extra cost but will involve a late return to the hotel.

NB The itinerary shown above is only representative and not all the species mentioned will be available at certain times of year. If you have any specific dates or targets please contact us or maybe arrange a Tailor-made Tour to the area.